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Frances Schandera-Duarte was born in 1975 in Germany. She studied Fashion Design in Schneeberg / Germany.

I grew up in East Germany in a small town near Dresden. As a child, I spent lots of time dreaming about traveling the world as this was a big issue in East Germany. After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 east and West Germany reunified into a single German state.

I suddenly had all the opportunities to explore the world. After finishing my studies in fashion Design I worked for a small but very artistic fashion label in Zurich / Switzerland. Then the opportunity of spending two years in Shymkent / Kazakhstan came along. Kazakhstan has a breath-taking landscape with beautiful mountains and deserts, all very inspiring for an artist. An art project with street children brought me to South Africa in 2005 where I met my husband, the artists Everett Duarte. I work as a freelance artist and live with my husband and daughter in Germany and South Africa. I first trained as a fashion designer. The most important skills I gained from my studies are my sense for colors, forms and proportions. The inspiration of almost all my paintings comes from nature.

I often dream about my work. I guess subconsciously my mind takes me back to a place I have seen and creates an image which I then transfer into a painting. Usually all falls into place during the process. I absolutely love painting. I enjoy experimenting and like to break free from the traditional use of paint. I use glue with Japanese paper, gauze and texture to design my surfaces. On top of it I add paint, ink and water which creates unusual structures. I do have an idea when I start but this also very often changes during the process. I respond to things that happen rather than pursuing a stringent plan.

1993 – 1997 studies at the Technical College of Applied Arts in Schneeberg / Graduate Designer (FH)
1998 – 2002 freelance designer and artist
2002 – 2003 lecturer at the Kazakh-Turkish Jassawi University in Shymkent / Kazakhstan
2004 – 2006 postgraduate studies at the University of Fine Arts in Dresden with Prof. Doris Tietze

2019
Art Zurich, Switzerland
Art tour Caputh, Caputh/ Germany

2018
Art Zurich, Switzerland.

2017
Umhlanga, South Africa. Group show, The Pearls Imbizo Gallery
Art Zurich, Switzerland. Art fair

2016
Art Zurich, Switzerland. Art fair
Mittweida, Univerisity Germany. Two man show

2015
Dresden, Germany. Art fair, Künstlermesse
Magdeburg Germany. Art fair, Kunst Mitte
Loccum, Germany. Two man show, Religionspädagogisches Institut

2014
Dresden, Germany. Art Fair Dresden
Bad Elster, Germany. Two man show, Galerie im Königlichen Kurhaus
Art Fair Groningen, Netherlands.
ART INNSBRUCK, Innsbruck/Austria 2013
Ballito, South Africa. Group show, Imbizo Gallery
Kattowitz, Poland. Group show, Galerie Szyb Wilson
Rochsburg, Germany. Two man, Museum Schloss Rochsburg
Meerane, Germany. Two man show, Galerie ART IN
Basel, Switzerland. Art Fair, Arte Binningen, Internationale Kunstausstellung

2012
Hainichen, Germany. Two man show, Gellert Museum
Pulheim, Germany. Art fair, Artpul, Messe für zeitgenössische Kunst
Eupen, Belgium. Art fair, Artpul Messe für zeitgenössische Kunst
Bonn, Germany. solo, Kunstverein Bad Godesberg
Stadt Rees, Germany solo, Koenraad Bosman Museum

2011
Potsdam, Germany. Solo show, Friedrich Naumann Stiftung
Basel, Switzerland. Art fair, Arte Binningen
Freiberg, Germany. Two man show, Petrikirche
Potsdam, Germany. Group show, Kunstallee
Gaborone, Botswana. Solo show, Gallery Ann

GALLERY